~ Something to Think About ~
פרשת ויצא
Parsha Stumpers
By: Daniel Listhaus
1. Three
types of people are called “dead” even while they are alive. All three appear
in this week's parsha and Rashi. What are they and where do they
come up in the parsha?
2. (28:11)
Rashi comments that the stones were all fighting which would be the one to have
Yaakov’s head rest on. Since when do rocks fight?
3. (28:12)
Rashi writes that the angels first ascended the ladder before the others
descended. Shouldn’t it have been the opposite in order for Yaakov not to be
left alone even for a moment without “protection”?
4. (28:15)
Rashi writes that Hashem needed to reassure Yaakov that everything would be
okay. Why did Yaakov need the reassurance? Did he not know on his own that
Hashem was with him?
5. (29:11)
Rashi writes that instead of killing Yaakov as his father, Eisav, commanded,
Eliphaz robbed him of everything he had. If Eliphaz really came to kill Yaakov,
what convinced him to go along with Yaakov’s plan to just rob him instead? And
if he knew he could not kill Yaakov, why did he bother trying? Even if Eisav
would have killed him for not listening, certainly murder is one of the
cardinal three sins which is yaharog v’al ya’avor (better be killed than
transgress) and Eliphaz should have given up his own life. So how could we
understand this strange event?
6. (29:12)
Rashi comments that Yaakov claimed to be able to match Lavan’s trickery. Since
when? Where did he pick up this “talent”?
7. (29:22)
Why did Lavan not make a huge wedding for Rachel as he did for Leah?
8. (29:25)
Yaakov and Leah’s marriage was certainly one of ta’us (mistake) on Yaakov’s
side, so why was the marriage valid?
9. (29:32)
Who named the shevatim?
10. (29:35)
Why did Leah only name her fourth son Yehuda? Was she not thankful for the
first three?
11. (30:15)
Rashi writes that because Rachel gave up her time with Yaakov in exchange for a
few flowers, she did not merit to be buried with him. Wasn’t the reason she
wasn’t buried with Yaakov because of Yaakov’s curse later in the parsha on
the one who stole the avodah zarrah from Lavan?
12. (30:22)
What took so long for Hashem to “remember” Rachel?
13. (30:23)
Rashi writes that when Rachel thanked Hashem for sending her a son which saved
her from disgrace, she had one of two things in mind. Either that she was
thankful that the rumors that Yaakov would divorce her and she would have to
marry Eisav would stop; or that now she had a kid to blame things on. How could
we understand these seemingly selfish thoughts at such a time from such a tzadekes?
14. (30:24)
As the passuk continues, Rachel named her son Yosef with a tefillah that
Hashem add to her another son. How could we understand this? Rachel finally
gave birth to a son and instead os stopping and being thankful she davens that
Hashem grant her another one?
15. (30:38)
What exactly happened in the story of the wages and patterned animals?
16. Where
do you see in this week's parsha that “stealing” could be said in
reference to intangible things which “can't be paid back”?
17. There
are two times other then the episode with the shepherds by the well that Yaakov
seems to go on a rant, so to speak, and “lose his cool”. What is the connection
between these three times? [See D’var Torah: Truth Be Told]
18. (31:18)
Why does the Torah feel it necessary to tell us what Yaakov spent his money on?
19. (31:24)
How could Lavan continue going to Yaakov after Hashem told him explicitly not
to? Who else in the Torah did a similar thing?
20. (31:32)
Why did Yaakov curse the one who took Lavan's idols? [See D’var Torah: Truth
Be Told]
21. (31:39)
Rashi tells us that Yakkov told Lavan that he was very careful when watching
his sheep and whether things were stolen during the day or night, Yaakov paid
for it all. What would have been the hava amina to differentiate
between things stolen during the day and things stolen at night?
22. (31:47)
What was the difference between the way Lavan and Yaakov each named the גל?
23. (31:54)
What is the significance of eating in this week's parsha?
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